John Mackey, the CEO and founder of Whole Foods Market, the nation's largest retailer of organic produce, gave a lecture on animal cruelty and the potential vices of corporate capitalism in McCormick Hall on Tuesday afternoon.
Speaking to more than 100 people, Mackey compared the public perception of the ethical standards of corporations and nonprofit organizations.
"Corporations are viewed as greedy, exploitative and negative for the public, while nonprofits are stereotyped as entirely the opposite," Mackey said. "[The public] must understand that — when business is motivated by a deeper purpose — profits could also be good."
Emphasizing his company's motto, "Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet," Mackey contrasted stereotypical big businesses to Whole Foods Market, which caps management salaries and provides health insurance for full-time employees.
"[Mackey]'s philosophy is communicated to all his team members. He can give his own personal touch to everything in the store," said Danielle Smith, a marketing specialist for a Whole Foods Market in Pennsylvania.
Several audience members left the lecture when Mackey showed a video depicting mistreatment of egg-laying chickens and the graphic slaughter of cattle and swine. Mackey used the footage to argue for what he termed "animal compassion."
"Whole Foods Market puts animal compassion before profit and productivity," Mackey said, adding that Whole Foods created the Animal Compassion Foundation "to rework the entire supply chain along with farmers and ranchers to promote the fair treatment of animals."
He also advocated that the agricultural market adopt shareholder capitalism, support local agriculture, internalize the cost of environmental agriculture and phase out agricultural subsidies.
The lecture was a part of the DeCamp Seminar Series sponsored by the University Center for Human Values and the Wilson School's Program in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy.
Following the lecture, a question and answer period allowed audience members to express concerns about veganism and genetically modified foods.
"Eighty percent of our customers are not vegetarian, so we would go out of business quickly if we did not sell animal products," Mackey said.
Though genetically modified foods are ubiquitous, Whole Foods works to have them properly labeled, Mackey said.
Whole Foods Market, which Mackey co-founded in Austin, Tex. in 1980, earned $4.6 billion in sales in the 2004-05 fiscal year, employs 36,000 people and has 180 stores in 30 states, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Read More
GSG approves audit, delays budget approval after ‘insufferable’ meeting
Nikki HanThe final Graduate Student Government (GSG) meeting for the semester lasted more than an hour and a half when discussions over the proposed budget for the next year and a proposed Student Life Fee of $100 turned controversial.
The final Graduate Student Government (GSG) meeting for the semester lasted more than an hour and a half when discussions over the proposed budget for the next year and a proposed Student Life Fee of $100 turned controversial.
Effort to restore chapel’s pews slowly progresses
Ben GoldstonHead carpenter Jim Sullivan has been restoring the Chapel pews over the last year. The dry atmosphere of the Chapel has warped the wooden pews over the years.
Head carpenter Jim Sullivan has been restoring the Chapel pews over the last year. The dry atmosphere of the Chapel has warped the wooden pews over the years.
Metals, molecules, and medicine: chemical biology’s influence on health and sustainability
Aanya KaseraChemistry professor Chris Chang’s lab studies the chemical biology of the elements, specifically examining the roles that copper, iron, and zinc play in biology across all kingdoms of life.
Chemistry professor Chris Chang’s lab studies the chemical biology of the elements, specifically examining the roles that copper, iron, and zinc play in biology across all kingdoms of life.